Wayne Smallman, Octane Interactive – InnovaBuzz 172
Wayne Smallman, Octane Interactive
In this episode, I’m really excited to have on the InnovaBuzz podcast as my guest, Wayne Smallman, Owner and Founder of Octane Interactive.
Octane helps small businesses handle big business problems with
In our discussion, Wayne talked to me about
- Getting to the real needs of your customer, by asking what it is they really provide their customers
- The difference between data and information and how insights are where the real value is
- The astronomical guide to success – aligning the planets.
Kieran McKeefery on episode 159 suggested we interview Wayne.
Listen to the podcast to find out more.
Listen to the Podcast
Focus more on what the needs of the customers are and care less about the competition. @Octane Wayne Smallman on #InnovaBuzz podcast Click To TweetShow Notes from this episode with Wayne Smallman of Octane Interactive
Key points and take-aways from this episode include:
- Wants and needs are not the same things.
- Success is not similar to what you are good at. It is about your proximity to influential people and blind luck.
- Word of mouth marketing is not replicable. You can’t document it and you can’t transcribe the experience.
- Focus more on what the needs of the customers are and care less about the competition.
- It is not about what you are good at or what technology is available. It is all about meeting the customer’s needs.
- Data and information are not the same things. Data is to DNA as information is to human, while knowledge is to civilization.
- The discovery process needs to be a narrative. There is value in connecting things and creating something.
- The Astronomical Guide to Success – The blind luck you have in your body is Saturn and your network of influential people is Jupiter. Out there in the reaches of black space is Pluto. This is what you are good at. These are your intrinsic talents but they are useless out there in the Kuiper Belt. You need to bring them from out there, into your orbit of blind luck and influential people. Your moment in the sun is dependent on the longevity of those, the impeccability of your talents, and your willingness to learn.
The Buzz – Our Innovation Round
Here are Wayne’s answers to the questions of our Innovation round. Listen to the interview to get the full scoop.
- #1 thing to be more innovative – Surround yourself with innovative people.
- Best thing for new ideas – Focus on the cost/benefit and ask how to monetize it.
- Favourite tool for innovation – My own imagination. I love to learn. I read a lot. Experiment.
- Keep project / client on track – Have good software. Find the best fit. Trello and Slack.
- Differentiate – Have a very honest conversation with yourself, about yourself.
To Be a Leader
Be brave!
Reach Out
You can reach out and thank Wayne through LinkedIn and Twitter.
Suggested Guest
Wayne suggested I interview Jessica Kupferman, Head of Marketing at Rebel Base Media and Co-Founder of She Podcasts. So Jessica, keep an eye on your inbox for an invitation from us to the InnovaBuzz podcast, courtesy of Wayne Smallman.
Links
Cool things about Wayne
- He was an illustrator.
- He writes dark and challenging “hard” science fiction.
- More recently, he has been writing for a number of business publications, including the FSB”s (Federation of Small Businesses) First Voice magazine, among others.